Christensen settles in as Brush Chamber Director

By Katie Collins Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

Posted:
04/06/2016 01:00:00 AM MDT

The Brush Area Chamber rang in a milestone moment with flair and flame Friday night, when new Chamber Director Melody Christensen invited the community to witness the burning of the Chamber's office mortgage, following the office's final payment. (Katie Collins/News-Tribune)

It seemed a natural fit in the eyes of many, and yet, as newly named Brush Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melody Christensen readied to take the reins as head of the organization in mid-March, she wondered, “What would Ron do?” “I woke up one day and realized that I could do this,” Christensen recalled as she made her way into the office once occupied by her long-time mentor and boss, Ron Prascher. “It’s just like Ron had tried to tell me; I simply needed the confidence.”When former Executive Director Ron Prascher passed away suddenly in 2015, the loss was felt deeply throughout the community. Known throughout the state of Colorado as a fierce advocate for Brush and for the plight of downtown businesses everywhere, Prascher left behind big shoes to fill and a defined focus for where he envisioned Brush’s future going.For Christensen, who worked and was trained under his wings as Administrative Assistant to the Chamber for over five years since her start there in 2010, the hole left behind upon his death was profound. “After Ron, I felt it just wasn’t my time,” Christensen revealed when asked why she had passed up the opportunity late last year when the position first opened.

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In January, a new Chamber Director was brought in as Lee Foley, a former City Administrator from Alaska, took hold of the Brush Chamber, but according to Christensen, the timing proved off and after just six weeks on the job, Foley and the Chamber came to an agreement that he simply wasn’t a good fit, and vice versa, prompting Foley to resign. “I guess in many ways I didn’t feel I was qualified at first,” she said, “but after having Lee in here for a while and losing him, I began to think that maybe I did have it in me to step up. I’d been doing so much of the work here after Ron and I realized he had taught me well. I finally felt I was ready and that it could become a positive move for me and for Brush,” she finished, “and that’s when I decided to submit my proposal to the board.”From a long list of day-to-day aspects of running the Chamber, from planning to organization and outreach, Christensen had already been serving in Brush and her dedication did not go unnoticed.Her ability to multitask, organize a variety of events and functions and most importantly, her vast knowledge of Brush, its people and businesses, was well-known. Even Prascher, upon planning for an April 1, 2016 retirement, began prompting Christensen to consider taking over. “I had overwhelming support from the area, from businesses, from the board and the community when I made the decision to just go for it,” she explained. “From the Colorado Main Street organization to Downtown Colorado Inc. (DCI), I got a lot of positive feedback and I was a little surprised, but so grateful.”After being selected by the Brush Area Chamber of Commerce board, Christensen officially began to serve her community under her new title as Director on March 15 and she ignited her newfound position with flare and flame, heading full-speed towards a busy season for area business events.She further fueled the flames of her term by hosting a mortgage-burning celebration at the Chamber’s 218 Clayton street home, on April 1, where a crowd gathered to watch Christensen and the Chamber usher in a new era that would begin debt free as the chamber board’s lease on the office space was finally paid off. “Ron had set today, April 1, as his official retirement date,” she noted as she took flame to paper to begin anew, “and so, this is more than fitting. “It was a big goal for him to have the building bought before then and we’ve exceeded his expectation by one month. He would have been proud to see this day. I got, what we might consider a sign that his support is still here with us just today, when I got word that Brush has received a $20,000 grant from Colorado Main Street to help our local businesses, and they’ve even offered to send a representative here to work with us in person, which Ron knows even now that we need more than ever," she revealed.“He provided a good foundation for us to build on,” she noted. “His enthusiasm helped put Brush on the map and he was dedicated to making Brush the best it could be.” “He was so passionate about the downtown, and worked so hard on it, that other cities still come here to see just how work the Main Street approach and how to refresh their own. He left big shoes to fill for sure and I just hope I will make him proud. I’m lucky though, to know that when and where I might not have the knowledge needed, I have so many resources to rely on. From the hospital to the school district, city, county economic development, MCC and more, a lot of county organizations have also stepped up to lend help and for that I am so thankful," she noted.Christensen began her term just as Brush began its involvement with the Main Street Pilot Program. The eastern plains city was chosen as just one of three Colorado communities to test the new model and one of ten in the nation. Along with rural Brush, Colorado cities in the program include Lake City and Steamboat Springs, while nationwide cities chosen for the program have included more major metropolises such as Philadelphia. “That’s one of the most amazing things about this program,” said Christensen, “that our little community of Brush is up there with the big cities, thanks to Colorado Main Street pushing to have their graduate-level communities be a part of it.”According to Christensen, in essence, the new program will redesign the Chamber’s current four-committee structure to focus more on project-centered committee action. The four committees, including the Economic Vitality, Organization, Promotion and Design, will still be around, but will focus efforts around projects that come up, rather than a list of usual duties to fulfill. “I’m excited because it will provide a more streamlined approach to events and projects,” said Christensen, “and it should facilitate more partnerships between committees and other groups.”Getting the Chamber to become more proficient as a business promoter, supporter, source of inspiration and leader is just one of the goals Christensen hopes to achieve during her time as Director, as is hiring a new part-time Administrative Assistant to fill her former role. “I do want to continue the traditions that began with Ron,” said Christensen, “and as far as changes, I only hope, for now, to streamline things more around here.” From increasing Chamber memberships to moving on ways to increase funding and grant opportunities for Brush-based businesses and organizations, Christensen’s vision of the future includes a great deal of time and effort, but her passion is primed. “We have made a name for ourselves as a Chamber and as a community,” she said. “ I want to continue that tradition. I want to continue to work closely with DCI, Main Street, the City of Brush and other entities and to get the word out to all of what we can do and what we do do for local businesses. Continuing to grow as a Chamber is a huge focus for us, so that we can help Brush grow.”Christensen’s goals also include helping business locales with funding for cleaning up storefronts and facades, for which the chamber and city currently have incentives. Increasing available incentives for smaller-based businesses also is a focal point, as well as increasing and expanding traditional Brush events, such as the Farmer’s Market, which got little participation over the past few years, but which Christensen has high hopes for. “A lot of folks have expressed interest in having it available,” she said, “and we’d love to get a committee together and vendors to make it happen again, but with better participation.”For more information on the Chamber of Commerce offerings, events and abundant opportunities, visit them at their newly bought 218 Clayton Street locale, visit them online at www.brushchamber.org, or call them at (970) 842-2666 or toll-free at (800) 354-8659.

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